Dispenser for liquids for treating air



Oct. 13, 1964 c. A. ENGLEHART DISPENSER FOR uqums FOR TREATING AIR Filed Dec. 22, 1961 FIG. '2

INVENTOR. CHARLES A.ENGLEHART ATT RN EYS United States Patent DISEENSER FOR LIQUIDS FGR TREATHNG AIR Charles A. English-art, 2885 E. 13th Ave.,

Columbus, Ohio Filed Dec. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 161,716

Claims. ((Il. 239-45) 7 This application relates to dispensers for liquids for treating air and particularly to devices of this type that the top of the stopper is spaced below the open top of the container to provide an upper chamber for receiving excessive'liquid which, under certain atmospheric conditions, will accumulate along the length of the wick and flow downwardly. For example, when the device is used in a motor vehicle which is driven from lower altitudes to higher mountainous altitudes, the decrease in atmospheric pressure will cause such accumulation of excessive liquid along the length of the wick. The same situation will occur with abrupt changes in humidity.

As another aspect of the present invention the upper chamber of the container, provided by the spaced stopper, is adapted to receive and store the wick means in a folded configuration, and a removable closure is provided to i tightly seal both the wick storing chamber and the lower chamber that contains the liquid to be dispensed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser for air treating liquids that includes a wick means that serves the additional function of providing means for suspending the dispenser from a support.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser of the type described that includes a chamber for receiving any excessive liquid which may drain down the wick means. Y i

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser of the type described that includes a chamber for storing the wick means in isolated relationship with the environment. 7

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had tothe ac companying drawings wherein a .preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of the dispenser of the present invention, the section being taken along-a vertical plane through the center. line ofthe apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the dispenser in' suspended mounted 'relat ionship on a supporting means; and g FIG. 3 is a partial view illustrating how the dispenser ,of the present inventioncan be attached to an endless member such as an. ignition wire located beneath the dashboard of an automobile. I I

Referring in detail to the drawings, the dispenser of the present invention includes a container having an upper portion provided with a stopper spaced below the upper edge of the container to form an upper chamber 32 for storing a wick means 28 and a lower chamber 24 for containing the liquid to be dispensed, the lower end of wick means 28 being disposed in the liquid.

It should be pointed out that stopper 26 is fitted into the containersufficiently tight to permit wick 28 to serve the additional function of suspending the container from the vehicle dashboard, knob or the like. With stopper 26 fitted tightly in the container, capillary flow of the liquid along the wick means 28 will occur, although to a lesser but adequate extent, just as it does with the stopper fitted loosely.

Upper chamber 32 forms a reservoir for receiving any excess liquid which may accumulate on the upper portion of wick means 28, above stopper 26, due 'to sudden changes in atmospheric pressure and humidity. Hence it will be understood that upper chamber 32 prevents the dripping of liquid onto the floor as would occur where the top of stopper 26 is disposed above the open end of the container.

Removable closure 22 provides an air tight seal for upper chamber 32 when it isused as a storage container for the upper portion of the wick means.

In FIG. 2 wick means 28 is shown looped over a knob 34 on the dashboard 36 of an automobile.

In FIG. 3 the upper end of wick means 28 is shown looped around itself to provide a convenient means for suspending the container from an endless member such as a wire located below a vehicle dashboard.

Althoughwick means 28 is shown formed of two strand portions, with a knot 30 beneath stopper 26, it will be understood that any number of strands can be used to control the magnitude of the capillary flow of liquid along the wick means without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow:

I claim:

1. A dispenser for air treating liquids comprising, in combination, a container including a top portion provided with an opening; a stopper in said container and forming therein a closed lower chamber for containing a liquid and an upper chamber; wick means extending past said stopper and including a lower portion disposed in said lower chamber and an upper portion selectively positionable either in a collapsed compact configuration or in an extended configuration wherein the top of said wick is disposed above the top of said container and provides means for suspending said container from a support.

2. A dispenser for air treating liquids comprising, in combination, a container including a top portion provided with an opening; a stopper in said topportion of said container and forming therein a closed lower chamber for containing a liquid; wick means including a plurality of strands extending between the outer surface of said stopper and the inner surface of said container, thehpper ends of said strands forming a closed loop above said opening and the lower ends of said strands being disposed in said lower chamber.

3. The dispenser defined in claim 2 wherein said stopper includes a top disposed below said opening to form an upper chamber for receiving liquid that drains down said wick means. t

4. The dispenser defined in claim 2 wherein said stopper includes atop disposed below said opening to form an upper chamber for storing said wick means in a folded configuration; and a removable closure for said opening.

5. A dispenser for air treating liquids comprising, in combination, a container including a top portion provided with an opening; a stopper in said container and forming therein a closed lower chamber for containing a liquid and tainer from a support; and a removable closure for said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Keskitalo May 22, 1951 Foster Oct. 23, 1951 

2. A DISPENSER FOR AIR TRETING LIQUIDS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION , A CONTAINER CINCLUDING A TOP PORTION PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING; A STOPPER IN SAID TOP PORTION OF SAID CONTAINER AND FORMING THEREIN A CLOSED LOWER CHAMBER FOR CONTAINING A LIQUID; WICK MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF STRANDS EXTRENDING BETWEEN THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID STOPPER AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CONTAINER, THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID STRANDS FORMING A CLOSDED LOOP ABOVE SAID OPENING AND THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID STRANDS BEING DISPOSED IN SAID LOWER CHAMBER. 